MISSION STATEMENT
Civility and respect should be at the heart of public life, and good governance is fundamental to ensuring an effective and well-functioning democracy at all levels. The intimidation, abuse, bullying and harassment of councillors, clerks and council staff, in person or online, is unacceptable, whether by councillors, clerks, council staff, or public members. This can prevent councils from functioning effectively, councillors from representing local people, discourage people from getting involved, including standing for election, and undermine public confidence and trust in local democracy.
NALC, WALC (as well as all county associations) and OVW, as the membership organisations representing the first tier of local government in England and Wales, and the SLCC, as the professional body for clerks, are committed to working together to promote civility and respect in public life, good governance, positive debate and supporting the well-being of councillors, professional officers and staff. To that end, a Civility and Respect Working Group is working to deliver tangible resources, actions and interventions. Find out more on the dedicated NALC webpage.
CIVILITY AND RESPECT PLEDGE
The Civility and Respect Pledge is being introduced because there is no place for bullying, harassment and intimidation within our sector. The pledge is easy for councils to sign up for and it will enable councils to demonstrate that they are committed to standing up to poor behaviour across our sector and to driving through positive changes which support civil and respectful conduct. WALC invites all councils to take the Civility and Respect Pledge
By signing the Pledge, your council is agreeing that the council will treat councillors, clerks, employees, members of the public, and representatives of partner organisations and volunteers with civility and respect in their roles and that it:
- Has put in place a training programme for councillors and staff
- Has signed up to the Code of Conduct for councillors
- Has good governance arrangements in place including staff contracts and a dignity at work policy
- Will seek professional help at the early stages should civility and respect issues arise
- Will commit to calling out bullying and harassment if and when it happens
- Will continue to learn from best practices in the sector and aspire to be a role model/champion council through for example the local Local Council Award Scheme
- Supports the continued lobbying for change in legislation to support the Civility and Respect Pledge including sanctions for elected members where appropriate
Once completed, you’ll receive a certificate by email, and your council will be listed alongside others a national map, showing the councils that have signed up.
TRAINING
One of the key aims of the civility and respect project has been to deliver training support for councillors, clerks, and employees who experience difficulties with bullying and harassment and to start to address some of the causes of poor behaviour
WALC offers comprehensive training in good governance, including Code of Conduct and Council-friendly policies. We provide best practice templates for Councils as part of that training, including the Dignity at Work policy and model Code of Conduct as recommended by the Pledge.
Times and dates for webinars and training courses do not always suit the busy schedules of local council members and employees and a blended approach is often needed to share vital information. E-learning enables councils to respond quickly to learners’ needs, with flexibility and without having to organise physical training with fixed times and dates.
WALC offers the following e-learning modules, created for the Civility & Respect Project, at a cost of £20.00 plus VAT per module. Discover our e-learning training suite for Town and Parish Councils.
- Standards in Public Life
- Respectful and positive social media for councils and councillors
- Leadership in challenging situations for councils and councillors
- Emotional intelligence and personal resilience
Courses are £20.00 plus VAT each and certificates issued on completion. Email website@walc.org.uk to request enrolment on your course(s) of choice.
Resources
Member Councils will find a range of resources available on NALC’s dedicated webpage, including
- Bullying and Harrasment statement
- Model Code of Conduct
- Model Code of Conduct Supporting Guidance
- Dignity at Work Policy
- HR Podcasts with Chris Moses
- Model Councillor-Officer Protocol
- Newsletters from the C&R Project
- Recruitment Guide
- Roles and Responsibilities Guidance
- Social Media Guide